Month: February 2009

After a week that resulted in 1 victory and 2 defeats, the Tribe now analyzes the positive and negative points that were left by action packed week. CF Indios accumulated 3 out of a possible 9 points in the span of a seven day period that included 2 games on the road. The only victory for Indios came at home on Wednesday evening against Morelia by a score of 2-0. Three days later in the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo Indios suffered their worst defeat of the season by a score of 3-0. This left Indios with 9 points on the season, in 4th place in their group, and 11th place overall in the general standings.

Indios gave their fans their first home victory on the season on Wednesday night against Morelia. Sometimes I think that teams obtain a victory any way possible, and other times they are victorious in the exact manner that they plan out. I feel the later was the case on Wednesday night. Indios dominated from the opening whistle to the end of the game. Even though Indios had a man advantage since the 33rd minute of the game, I don't think the red card that Morelia suffered was the reason for the Indios victory. If anything the red card was a result of the dominance that Indios applied up to the point were the red card was issued. The Tribe showed a lot of offensive variety on the attack that was balanced on both the left and right sectors of the field which resulted in the 2 gols by Ezequiel Maggiolo and Daniel "El Manelo" Frias in the 66th and 84th minutes.

Saturday afternoon the story was completely the opposite. Indios played a Pachuca team that is the best that Mexican Soccer presently has to offer. This showed for 90 minutes of play. I feel that both teams lacked intensity, probably due to this being the third game in seven days. Both teams spent a lot of time in the midfield attempting to generate scoring opportunities that, once they came, were not really all that threatening. In my opinion Pachuca won simply slight advantage that they have on talent and experience. These two factors went a long way for Pachuca on Saturday afternoon.

This irregularity for the Tribe needs to stop. Playing one good game, then followed by one bad one has to be frustrating for the team, I know it is for the fans. It will be very interesting to see what happens on Sunday Morning as Indios will play host to Jaguares from the state of Chiapas. Jaguares has 11 points on the season and is in second place in their group. On Saturday evening they lost to Puebla by a score of 4-2. Indios will look to continue to keep its undefeated streak at home in this Clausura 2009 season. It will be interesting to see if midfielders Juan Ramon Curbelo and Juan Agusto Gomez will return to the starting lineup on Sunday after missing the game at Pachuca. Their presence was definitely missed on Saturday afternoon.

Despite these 2 recent defeats Indios still holds its destiny in its own hands when it comes to the theme of relegation. Necaxa now occupies the 18th position on the relegation table after suffering its 5th loss of the season against Cruz Azul on Sunday by a score of 4-2. The Tribe is in 14th place with a total of 28 points in 24 games for a point per game average of 1.1667. Tigers of UANL has now involved itself in the theme of relegation positioning itself in 16th place just ahead of Puebla and Necaxa. Hopefully with home field advantage on Sunday, Indios will help itself a little more when it comes to the relegation situation. Check back later this week when I will report on the happenings of practice this week in preparation for the game against Jaguares and preview the game further in depth. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

Hello all! Sorry I have been away over the course of the week. Since it has been a week, lets get right to it. CF Indios suffered their first loss of the season Sunday afternoon against the Red Devils of Toluca by a score of 1-0 in the City of Toluca. For the first time in 5 games the Indios failed to accumulate any points and are still at 6 points for the season, in 4th place in their group. This defeat also drops the Indios to 16th place in the relegation table, still ahead of Necaxa and Puebla.

Frankly I thought that the Tribe was overmatched from the opening to the final whistle. Indios may have lost today by the minimal difference in score, but that score doesn't tell the tale of the game that happened today in the State of Mexico. Toluca was merciful on Indios having several clear opportunities on gol, but failing to put the ball in the net. Indios was dominated in all the sectors of the field, generating little offensive threat for 90 minutes of play. When your first corner kick comes at 84th minute of play (which was the case for Indios today), that speaks volumes regarding your threat potential on the opposing gol.

Indios today was imprecise in their passing, their defending, and failed to make any adjustments to alleviate the situation. Making adjustments was something that I thought that Head Coach, Hector Hugo Eugui would do at the half when Indios was lucky to go into with a 0-0 tie. In the second half Toluca started right were it had left off. Toluca attacking and Indios defending with 9 to 10 of its players, 7 minutes later Hector Mancilla would get his sixth gol on the Clausura 2009 season making him the leading gol scorer in Mexico's premier soccer division.

After this gol the changes came. Daniel "El Maleno" Frias came on for Hector Gimenez. A straight up position for position (forward for forward) substitution. Then Juan Pablo Rodriguez went into the game for a Luis Ricardo Esqueda that has now been a non-factor for Indios for the second game in a row. Then Sergio Orduna came on for Juan Augusto Gomez, which was really an irrelevant change in my opinion with 15 minutes to go in the game. Impact these changes had? Zero, the story remained the same. Point is that Indios came out today clearly wanting to leave Toluca with a tie and one point in the bag. That is fine since point accumulation is key, especially on the road. However, I think that the tribe was a little too conscious of this and that affected their execution and style of play.

The ties that Indios has had so far may have occurred because of different reasons, but none of those reason have been because the Indios came out to consciously attempt to acquire a tie. Indios has been offensively oriented in their style of play every game this season up to today's game. Was it the idea that Indios was playing the defending champions in Mexican soccer and gave them way too much respect??? Or was it that the venue, the stadium Nemesio Diez aka "La Bombonera", along with their fans intimidated the team from the borderland??? Could be. Fact is that Indios had their worst performance to date, and did not deserve to win. People may talk about the fact that the referee, German Arredondo, did not call a clear penalty kick in Indios favor (a la Paul Delgadillo a couple of weeks ago against Necaxa) with minutes to go in the game. Well, you win some and you lose some because Toluca should have clearly had more than one gol today making that penalty no call a non factor.

It is key that Indios quickly turn the page on this dismal performance before they get off the plane today upon their return to Juarez. They better, because their next game against Morelia is two days away (Wednesday at 6:00pm). It will be interesting to see what develops over the next couple of days leading up to the 6th game of the season against Morelia at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium come Wednesday. Yours truly will keep you informed. Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!

In a week of the Clausura 2004 season that showed very little quality of play across all matchups in Mexican Soccer, the Indios vs. Santos game was no exception. These two clubs couldn't escape the irregularity that seemed to come over all the teams in Mexico's Premier Soccer Division this fourth week of the season. Indios faced a Santos team that demonstrated very little proficiency and despite that they could not come away victorious. Quite frankly I think that Indios played down to Santos level even though the game was dominated by Indios, especially in the second half, all leading to a 0-0 tie.

Indios started the game by being a little imprecise in their passing ability for the first ten minutes of the game. From there they started to generate chances on goal. Despite Indios generating chances on goal for 90 minutes there were no real threatening chances for Indios to score. As much as I hate to say this, but for the first time in 21 games that Indios has been in Primera Division this has by far been the most boring game. I just did not see any adjustments on Hector Hugo Eugui's behalf to make the Tribe more of a threat to score. The timing of the changes were questionable once again, and failed to make a difference.

Indios looked very solid defensively. The work of Campos, De La Barrera, Malagueno, and Saavedra was immaculate as they shut down Santos. These four members for the Tribe demonstrated a lot of order and discipline. Tomas Campos and Javier Saavedra particularly showed discipline in that they went up on the attack but then quickly hustled back to defend throughout the game. Saavedra is doing his work very well in that right defensive sector as all four teams that Indios have played this season have not really generated many attacks in that part of the field. For a player that only played 90 minutes all season long last season Saavedra has shown how hungry he was to be a role player in Mexico's Premier Division and he has certainly lived up to that. With no gols being scored on Indios this past Sunday the lapse in concentration that I have been so critical of throughout the season did not happen this game, let us hope that that continues.

The return of Indios forward Ezequiel Maggiolo in the 58th minute of Sunday's game could be described as fair. Nothing really remarkable happened when he took to the pitch. It was good to see him back, and it is going to be very interesting to see how the competition between Maggiolo and Daniel "El Manelo" Frias develops over the course of the week to see who gets the nod to start on Sunday against Toluca. I would love to see both of them start and have Indios play with 2 forwards but its a safe bet to say that that won't happen especially when Indios are going to be playing aToluca team that is one of the best teams in the the Mexican league this season at Toluca. I was surprised that Eugui put in 2 forwards at the same time at the end of Sunday's game, even if it was with less than 5 minutes left. It would be very interesting to see how Indios would play with 2 forwards at the time instead of playing with just one at the point which is how they usually play.

So what did this tie against Santos leave other than a desire for me to take a nap after the game was over? Indios continues to accumulate points (6 points) and be undefeated. They are in 3rd place in their group behind Pachuca (10 points) and Monterrey (7 points). They continue to be in 14th place on the relegation table with a point avg. of 1.190, while Puebla continues to be in the final spot with a point avg. of 1.036 after losing to Toluca on Sunday by a score of 2-0. All of this seems to continue to point Indios in the right direction with regards to surviving the relegation situation. Lets just hope that there isn't a point later on in the season when we look back at the points that were left on the table, as has been the case these last 3 games, as the reason Indios missed the playoffs or even worse, as the reason that Indios is relegated back to the living hell that is Primera "A". Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!!!

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. The fourth game of the season for Indios is less than 12 hours away and it is also the first game of the season that I feel that more than 3 points will be at stake. The Indios face a very tough rival in a Santos team that is desperate to accumulate points in any way that they can to begin to turn around the "nightmarish" start to the Clausura 2009 season (having accumulated 1 point). As I mentioned in my previous entry, Santos will arrive to the borderland without 2 of its star players(Oswaldo Sanchez and Vicente Matias Vuoso) because they were called up to the Mexican National Team to face the United States on Wednesday, Feburary 11th. Regardless, I'm sure whoever fills the roll for those two players will leave it all on the field to help Santos go back to Torreon with at least 1 point.

We know the urgency that Santos has to accumulate points, but what would a positive result for the Indios mean? The relegation factor, for one, which goes without saying. Indios would move further away from the 18th spot on the relegation table, which is objective number one. However, head coach for the Indios, Hector Hugo Eugui commented on something that caught my attention after Friday's practice. Commenting on the consequences as a result of a win for Indios, Eugui stated, "…it would be important because by accumulating points we start pulling way (from other teams both in the relegation and group standings) and we will start getting closer to other possibilities." Other possibilities? To me that sounds like possible playoff aspirations, and hell why not? Right now Indios is in 3rd place in their group and in 7th place out of 18 positions in the general standings. With a win on Sunday that would bring them to 8 points moving them up in their group and general standings. While I will be the first to tell you that you can't think that far ahead and that you have to take it a week at at time, I would also have to say that you have to analyze the situation as it develops before you. Right now with Indios playing the way that they are and obtaining the results that they have you can't help but to acknowledge that they are a legitimate contender in Mexico's Premier Soccer Division.

The game against Santos on Sunday is going to be one that will be of much more profound interest to a lot of people in our sister city because of the fact that there are a lot of people from Torreon that live in Juarez. It will be interesting to see how much green will be seen come Sunday at 11am in Benito Juarez Stadium. Santos is known to have some of the most passionate fans in all of Mexican Soccer, lets just hope this passion stays as such and nothing more so that all can have an enjoyable and peaceful day at the stadium.

Indios come into this game as a favorite, which I believe is the first time that Indios finds itself in this situation, especially against a team of such great reputation like that of Santos. This coincides, with my opinion that the Tribe is becoming a legitimate contender in Mexican soccer. Goalkeeper for Indios, Cirilo Saucedo believes the same thing, commenting that, "Our rivals are starting to respect us. Perhaps in the past we were overlooked by them, but now I think that they have realized that in order to beat us, they will have to suffer…" This is an opinion backed by fact, Indios has only lost once time in the last nine games. Come Sunday morning at 11:00am Santos will be the ones that are going to have to suffer to leave Juarez with any points.

Undoubtedly Indios will come out on the offensive trying to get their first victory at home on the season. In order to achieve this they will have to be patient, smart, and keep their focus (especially on defense) to come out with a positive result. Just because Indios has gotten off to a great start we must all remember that accumulating points at home is crucial because things on the road can become complicated very quickly. Let's just hope that Indios take advantage of the situation that they find themselves in. Lets all tune in and find out. The game will be televised live nationwide across the U.S. on two networks, Azteca America(Cable Channel 9, Channel 42 on DirectTV) and ESPN Deportes (cable channel 627). Until next time, VAMOS Indios!!!!!!

After the robbery that the Indios were victims of Saturday night in Aguascalients, Mexico thanks to the decision making of referee Paul Delgadillo the Indios have turned the page and are now fully concentrating on their next rival. The head coach for the tribe and some of members of the Indios front office went to a referee hearing earlier in the week in Mexico City. Indios head coach Hector Hugo Eugui said that he was happy with how this hearing turned out. He said that points were made, and their voices were heard and that now Indios has to focus on its next task which is Santos.

The Indios will play their fourth game of the season (second at home) against Santos Sunday morning at Benito Juarez Stadium at 11:00am. Once again Indios will face a team that has started off to a rough start only accumulating one point this season in three games (which came last week in a tie against Puebla). Meaning that Santos will be coming in desperate to accumulate more points on the year any way possible. Santos who won the championship only 2 seasons ago looks to correct its dismal start, point the ship in the right direction and get back to its playoff contending form starting Sunday against the Tribe. The fact that Santos will not come into the borderland land at full strength gives the Indios any type of additional comfort or ease. Two of Santos undeniable starters have been called up to the Mexican National Soccer Team (Goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez and forward Vicente Matias Vuoso) to prepare to face the United States on Feburary 11th in Columbus, Ohio. Santos has also been hit with the injury bug, so that will also have its effects come Sunday morning. After a double workout day for the Tribe today at the Yvasa Complex (this is the Indios headquarters and Training Facility), captain for the Tribe said regarding Santos, "….despite them playing with out two of their best players, they have important players that can fill their role, making for a complicated game."

One thing that I love about this soccer team in that they have all the confidence in the world but not an ounce of conceit. The Tribe's humility is one of their best qualities. The give all the credit and respect to the opposing team week in and week out regardless if it is returned. Head coach for Santos Daniel Guzman was quoted today saying, "We beat them last season, we should do it again." and "….this Sunday is the perfect opportunity to turn this situation around". I like Daniel Guzman, a lot. I feel that he is one of the bright spots as far as young coaches go in Mexico. However comments like this come as a surprise to me. These quotes are perfect chalkboard material, however this will not be the case for Indios. The Indios are very good at concentrating on doing their own thing as far as preparing, generating a game plan and executing it. They do not waste time or get caught up in what is said or done by the opposing team over the course of the week.

Ending a positive note, looks like Indios forward Ezequiel Maggiolo will be ready to go for Sunday's game against Santos, all Hector Hugo Eugui has to do is say the word. It will be interesting who Eugui will choose as his starting forward come Sunday morning. I figure it will continue to be Daniel "El Maleno" Frias. In two games, Frias has established himself as a legitimate threat for the Tribe against both Monterrey and Necaxa. I think that Eugui needs to take advantage of this new found confidence that I think that Frias has found and ride it out as long as possible. Indios is looking very good right now, the team as a whole and that includes Frias. There is no reason to take him out of the equation just because Maggiolo is ready to go. Plus I think it will be good to give Frias another chance to show off this newfound confidence before his hometown crowd which can only help him grow as a soccer player. Until next time….VAMOS Indios!!!

Saturday night was a night in which I was reminded that Indios has a long way to go. Not in the competitive aspect, or in their style of play, but in terms of respect. The 2-2 tie with Necaxa Saturday night in Aguascalientes, Mexico left all Indios fans wanting more from a result that did not come to be without a fair amount of controversy. Referee, Paul Delgadillo will need to stay away from the borderland for a while as his performance in Saturday's game will be remembered by Indios fans across the region for a long time to come.

Indios once again did what it had to do to meet the weekly goal of accumulating points in any way shape, or form. However, after being up 2-0 in a convincing fashion going into the half, a tie leaves little satisfaction to players, the front office and fans alike. Sure a point is a point, the team continues to accumulate points and remains undefeated. But when you combine certain factors this tie becomes clearly unjust. First Indios outplayed Nexaca the entire fist half, and despite being a man down for 35 minutes in the second half Indios continued to attack and pose a threat on the opposing gol. Second, the now infamous red card that Mr. Delgadillo decided to give Indios midfielder Daniel Campos in the 55th minute was not a red card nor here, nor in China. At the most I would say it was a yellow card, and even that might be a stretch. Finally,he didn't have the courage to call a clear penalty that would have given Indios a penalty kick in the closing minutes. As much as I love soccer, there is nothing worse than when the referee becomes the main protagonist of the game. Unfortunately this was the case on Saturday night in Aguascalientes.

As for the positives that can be salvaged from the game against Necaxa, there is several. Of course, point accumulation is a plus. One point is not as good as three, but a hell of a lot better than zero, plus Indios is still undefeated. Daniel Frias' gol in just the second minute of play was a just what he needed to give him the confidence he may have lost after failing to convert on 3 golden opportunities in the previous game against Monterrey. Frias was a constant threat for the Tribe throughout the game and looked to have regained some of that confidence that I felt he lost in the Monterrey game. I also feel that this team's soccer philosophy is in the right place. Indios comes out and attacks their opponent, looks for the win, regardless of who or where they are playing. This was evident on Saturday night. This quality is very commendable for a team who is fighting for their very existence every single game. Not to mention it takes a lot of guts. Don't believe me? Ask Puebla, they played on the road at Santos Sunday afternoon, they came out with 5 defenders, 2 defensive midfielders, 2 attacking midfielders, and a forward at the point. They wouldn't know this kind of courage if it hit them in the face. If Puebla settles for par throughout the season it is not going to be no where near enough to save themselves.

It goes without saying that the 2 gols that Indios received in the second half after they were down a man were a product of circumstance. The gols against Indios came in the 66th and 69th minute, still I think the lapses in concentration that happen to the Indios defensively have a lot to do with the fact they get scored on. The fact that the gols were 3 minutes apart I feel kind of support this opinion of mine. Something else that I noticed on Saturday was that Indios Head Coach, Hector Hugo Eugui, took a little too long to make any kind of substitutions or adjustments once the red card came. It took over ten minutes for Eugui to call in a sub. We won't mention that I didn't agree with the substitution he made. Notable players for Indios were Edwin Santibanez, goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo, and Juan Ramon Curbelo. Santibanez doesn't look like if he lost any of his ability after coming back from his injury. Cirilo Saucedo continues to average 3 amazing gol saving saves per game. While Curbelo continues to take away, and recover loose balls up for posses ion across the midfield.

Back to the Paul Delgadillo performance. I really hope that Indios files a formal complaint with the Mexican Federation regarding Delgadillo's performance. Will it change anything? No, not at all. But it will call attention to the powers that be, and send a message that despite Indios being the new kid on the block in Mexico's premier soccer division, and a small and humble organization it won't be one to be taken advantage of and will be respected. As I said earlier, Indios is a team that is fighting for its very existence every game and thus cannot be a victim of questionable officiating, especially when it may conflict with the interest of a certain broadcasting company. More on this final thought next time, check back soon. Until then VAMOS Indios!!!!!